Decalcomania



Nov. 29, 1932.

P. w. MARSHBU RN DECALCOMANIA Filed March 30, 1931 WITNESS [1V VENTOR A TTORNEYS I Patented Nov. 2 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PRESTON W. HARSHBURN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y ASSIGNOR TO NORTH WARREN CORPORATION, 01 NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK DEOALCOMANIA Application filed March 30, 1931. Serial No. 626,875.

This invention relates to decalcomania transfer sheets in which a number of separate designs are carried upon a single sheet and which it is desirous of transferring individw ally upon the object to be decorated.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanyin drawing in which Fig. 1 is a plan view 0 a decalcomania transfer sheet embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating how the sheet of lacquer carrying the decalcomania is transferred to the object to be decorated; Fig. 3 shows the decal comania applied to a surface; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 41- 1 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of transfer sheet.

The designs which are to appear upon the decalcomania transfer sheet are first formed upon a suitable sheet or section of lacquer. Thus, for instance, a continuous sheet of lacquer, substantially of the size shown in Fig. 1, has formed thereon a plurality of separate decorative designs or symbols as shown. The sheet of lacquer in its continuous form is carried by a suitable paper backing sheet 1, to which the continuous sheet of lacquer is secured by means of a water soluble paste 2. It is preferred to leave a substantial area of the lacquer film undecorated immediately be low the designs. After the decalcomania transfer sheet has been prepared as above described the lacquer film is slit across the sheet immediately below the designs or symbols. Additional slits through the lacquer film are also made between each design or symbol.

The transfer sheet, when completed com-- prises the backing 1 and the lacquer film 3, having the decalcomania design i applied upon the face thereof, the underside of the lacquer film 3 being secured to the sheet 1 by means of the water soluble paste 2. The slot 5 which is crosswise of the transfer sheet, preferably does not extend into the surface of the backing 1, although it would not be objectionable should the slit 5 be also partially through the said backing. The slits 6 which are lengthwise of the sheet, and between each design or symbol 7, are preferabl limited in their penetration so as to go entirely through the lacquer film 3, but not into the backing sheet 1 to any eat extent.

The result 0 the severing of the film as described divides the lacquer film into distlnctive areas 8 and 9, the upper areas 8 carrying the design or symbol and the lower areas 9 eing undecorated. These respective areas 8 and 9 are bordered by the slits or cuts 5 and 6. Thedecalcomania transfer sheet, in the form. shown in Fig. 1 is sold as an article of commerce. When it is desirous of decorating an object with the designs or symbols 7 carried on the decalcomania transfer sheet the individual design is separated from the sheet by tearing the backing sheet 1, along one of the lines 6. The backing sheet will readily tear along this line by reason of the previous incision through the lacquer film. The section 10 thus removed from the transfer sheet con sists of the portion 8, which carries the design and the tab portion 9, the latter providing an extension which can be readily grasped between thefingers. The portion 8 which carries the design is then wetted or dipped into water, which will quickl soften the paste 2. The section 10 is then rought into proximity with the surface to be decorated and the portion 8 is pushed, with a sliding motion, from the surface 11 of the section 10 upon the object 12, which is to be i decorated. The section 8 may be readily manipulated to move it to the proper position on the object to be decorated by reason of the film of paste which remains on the underside thereof. The film of aste is utilized for the purpose of adhering the section 8 to the object to which it is applied. ihis invention may be utilized in decorating masquerade dresses, party favors, party hats, finger nails and many other objects.

In Fig. 5 the form of severing is modified. In this modification the lacquer sheet and the backing are slit entirely through the thickness thereof at spaced portions 5a thereby providing narrow neck portions 13, which likewise extend through the lacquer sheet and the backing. The slits between the symbols or designs are also formed in the same manner as the slits 5a and necks 13 whereby the necks 14 are provided between aljoining slits 6a, which extend entirel throug ltil the lacquer sheet and the bac ing. is latter method of slitting throu h t 1e lacquer sheet and the backing and ho ding the sheets together by the use of the small necks is found to ting through the lacquer sheet as shown in Fig. 1. In separating the individual designs from the transfer sheet they will readily tear along the line formed by the slits 6a and the necks 14. Likewise the portion of'the lacquer sheet which carries the symbol will readily separate from the tab or extension 9, inasmuch as the moisture applied in order to soften the paste 2 tends to soften the necks 13 and permit their ready severance along a straight line thus by very slight slidin pressure upon the section 8 which carries t e decalcom'ania design.

In some instances, particularly if the designs are used in very small dimensions in connection with the decoration of finger nails, a protective coating of white shellac is applied over the decalcomania and lacquer section 8 after it is applied to the finger nails to protect it from the action of solvents, which are used in liquid nail polish.

I claim:

1. A decalcomania transfer comprising a backin sheet, a plurality of transparent films secured to said backing sheet by a water soluble adhesive, each film carrying a design, said backing sheet extending a considerable distance beyond the design to provide a tab portion sufiiciently large in area to be grasped between the fingers, each film being separated from the adjoining film, but all the films being carried by said backing, the backin having weakened portions near the point ofseparation of each film, whereby each design, and the section of the backing immediately therebeneath, may be separated from the entire backing and immersed in water to soften the water soluble adhesive and the portion of the film carrying the design slid upon an object to be decorated, the adhesive on the underside of the film being adapted for use to secure the film upon the object to be decorated.

2. A decalcomania transfer comprising a backing sheet, the backing sheet being covered with thin transparent material secured to the backing sheet by a water soluble adhesive, a crosswise slit extending through said material, a plurality of lengthwise slits extending through said material thereby providing separable areas of film material and tab portions extending beyond said areas, the backing sheet having weakened portions near said lengthwise slits, each of said areas being provided with a design, each design area and tab being separable along said lengthwise slit and said weakened portions of the backing, said design area being adapted to be immersed in water while held by said tab portion and said design area being adapted to have certain advantages over merely slitbe slid from the backing upon an object to be decorated and carrying with it part of the said adhesive, the adhesive acting to secure said design area upon the object to be decorated.

3. A decalcomania transfer comprising a backing stri a film of transparent material thereon, sai transparent material being secured to the backing by a water soluble adhesive, a crosswise slit through said transparent material providing a design area and a tab, a design upon said design area, the tab area being of sufficient size to be grasped between the fingers whereby the design area may be immersed in water to soften the adhesive and slid over the surface of the backing upon an object to be decorated, the adhesive acting as a lubricant to facilitate the sliding thereof, the portion of the adhesive carried on the underside of said design area being adapted to secure the design area upon the object to be decorated.

4. A method of decorating articles consisting in applying a design to a film of transparent material, cutting a backing of larger area than the portion of the film carrying said design, securing said film to said backing with an adhesive capable of being softened to permit said adhesive to set, grasping said backing at the portion thereof beyond the portion carrying the design, immersing the portion of the film carrying the design and said backing in a material capable of softening said adhesive, sliding the portion of the film carrying said design upon the object to be decorated and utilizing the adhesive carried along with said film to secure the film to the object.

5. A method of decorating articles consisting in applying a design to a film of transparent material, cutting a backing of larger area than the portion of the film carrying said design, securing said film to said backing with an adhesive capable of being softened to permit said adhesive to set, grasping said backing at the portion thereof beyond the portion carryin the design, immersing the portion of the film carrying the design and said backing in a material capable of softening said adhesive, sliding the portion of the film carrying said design upon the object to be decorated, utilizing the adhesive carried along with said film to secure the film to the object, and applying a protective coating over the exposed surface of the film.

PRESTON W. MARSHBURN. 

